Carbon nanotubes have been used by many for field emission applications. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) come in two families, single wall nanotubes (SWNTs) and multi-wall nanotubes (MWNTs). Both materials are long (11-10,000 microns) and thin (0.001-0.1 microns in diameter). This high aspect ratio and the fact that they are semiconducting or metallic makes them ideal candidates for field emission applications. The field emission from these materials is further improved if the CNT fibers are aligned in parallel to the applied electrical field. Also desired is an inexpensive way of applying the CNT material onto suitable substrate materials at low temperature and aligning these materials using methods that are suitable for large-scale manufacturing.